South Africa: The boys who gave the world a party, and went home early
South Africa played its first international after readmission to world football on 7 July 1992, beating Cameroon 1-0 at King's Park Stadium in Durban. Doctor Khumalo scored from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute. FIFA had reinstated the unified, non-racial South African Football Association 4 days earlier, on 3 July.
The article states that South Africa won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil and reached consecutive World Cups in 1998 and 2002, but missed the 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups. In 2010, South Africa became the first African nation to host a World Cup, drawing 1-1 with Mexico and beating France 2-1, but exited in the group stage. Hugo Broos arrived in 2021 and built around Ronwen Williams, whose 4/4 penalty saves carried South Africa to the 2023 AFCON semis. South Africa secured qualification after a 2-0 win over Benin and a 3-0 win over Rwanda on 9 October 2025.
South Africa will face Mexico, South Korea, and the Czech Republic in 2026. On 11 June 2026, South Africa meets Mexico again at Estadio Azteca.
Quick Summary
South Africa's football team, Bafana Bafana, once isolated by apartheid, made a triumphant return to the world stage in 1992 - marking the start of a new era. Now, after a long decline and a painful exit as 2010 hosts, they're back at the World Cup, but can they rewrite history?
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